Apparatus for mechanically separating out cigarettes with tips differing from the normal length



Fb. 33, 1932.. I M. P. E. HOHN ET AL APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY SEPARATING OUTFIGARE TIPS DIFFERING FROM THE NORMAL LENGTH T'I'ES IITH Filed July-9, 1929 2 spasm-Sheet j 1 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STAT S PATENT OFF-ICE aux ram. nnnsr noun AND Bonnier wmnnur voxer, or nnns'nnn, GERMANY, A8- sIeNons 'ro THE rum umvnnsnnnw' oIeARET-TmvmscnmEn-mnnm, J. o.

& 60., OF DRESDEN, GERMANY APPARATUS non. MECEANIGALLY snrnrmrme our oreannrrns wrrn 'rres mrrname mom run NORMAL LENGTH Application filed July 9, 1929, Serial No.

The present invention relates to appa- I ratus for separating out cigarettes having tips or mouthpieces of a length differing from a prescribed length. The method consists in leading the cigarettes past an optical-electrio feeling device which is set for the limits of the-length of tip and which by means of been employed for arranging cigarettes provided with imprints. This dev ce responds to diiferences in illumination produced by the presence 'or. absence of the imprint from the side of the cigarette facing the optical eye and operates by means of a relay mechanical means-for turning the cigarettes around their longitudinal axes. 1

The method, in accordance with the invention, is preferably employed with a device of this nature so that cigarettes which are faulty as regards the length of the ti are not required to be further tested as to t eir correct position and direction.

. The feeling device for the purposes of the new method is so arranged that it tests the limitingrange of length 'oftip of the cigarettes fed beneath it always in a uniform position. According as the tip projects more or less into the area under. examination'the light strength is affected because the ciga-v rette tips have different light reflecting properties from the body of the cigarette and with a definite degree of influence a relay-is operated which operates a-mechanical device for separating out the faulty cigarettes.

Preferably, the cigarettes are led in. succession past two optical-electrical feeling devices each of which co-operates with a sepa- 376,935, and in Germany July 11, 1928.

rating device of which the one separates out cigarettes having excessively long tips and the other separates out cigarettes having excessively short tips; a

In the apparatus for carrying the method into effectthere is provided a chain with pockets which chain feeds the cigarettes beneathv the optical-electrical feeling device a' disc rotating about a horizontal axis beneath it. This disc is provided on its periphery with axially movable pins disposed parallel to the axis of the disc. The pins are displaced axially electro-magnetically by means of a relay connected with the optical-electrical feeling device on the passage of a fault tip and in this position influence a lifting linger delivering the faulty cigarettes from a chain into the path of a roller fitted with blades,

whereupon the pins arereturned by an inclined surface again into their initial position.

When the faulty cigarettes are tobe ejected the problem arises how the gaps in the feeding chain resulting from the ejection of the'cigarettes are to be filled.

These gaps are preferably filled by leading the conveyor after it leaves the separating device and carrying the cigarettes with intervening gaps to the filling hopfper of a device which supplies the pockets 0 a second conveyor (pocket chain), the speedof feed of the second conveyor being less corresponding to the number of cigarettes separated out, than the speed of feed of the first conveyor.

A suitable construction showing merely what is required merel for a clear understanding of the inventlon, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.

1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan, while Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the filling device in vertical longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a pocket chain which at apoint to the left of Figs. 1 and 2 is fed mechanically with the cigarettes which are to be examined. On the machine frame is mounted a slotted-screen 2 over which the illuminating apparatus b b and the light sensitive cell z-indicated merely diagrammatically are arranged.

-' parallel to the axis turns about a vertical axis at 4 is rotated a.

disc 6 having axially movable pins 7 disposed of the disc and by which the lifting finger 8 is actuated. As it is intended to remove only faulty cigarettes from thepockets of the chain 1, only those pins 7 are operated which correspond to pockets inwhich the faulty cigarettes are located.

There must thus exist a definite relation between the divisions of the pocket chain and the division of the-disc 6 or between the speed of movement of the chain and of the disc. The' pins 7 are rendered operative or inoperative by axial displacement in the holes in the disc 6, i. e. the are moved into or out of the path of the lifting finger 8. Those pins which act on the lifting finger 8 are pushed forward by the armature 5. After the pins 1p-gshed forward have acted on the lifting ger they are returned to the inoperative position by moving over an inclined surface 9. The cigarettes c raised by the lifting finger, move mto the path of the rotating gripper 10 which grips them from beneath at both sides of the pocket and in its further movement delivers them on to the feed band 11. The apparatus described thus se arates the cigarettes faulty in one respect, eit er the cigarettes with too long or too short tips. At another point on the chain may be disposed a second similar device similarl with respect to the screen slot an so on and intended to locate the o posite fault.

Fig. 4 shows at the lei t hand upper side the right hand end of the pocket chain 1 which has passed under the optical feeling device and, the separatin device and has empty pockets. The fille pockets deposit the cigarettes in the filling hopper 12 of the feeding device beneath wh1ch the ocketed' drum 13 rotates. Its pockets are fi ed from the filling. hopper 12, the roller brush 14 at the outthe second section of the let end in known manner retaining any excess .ctiiiarettes which might be entrained.- The ed pockets pass along a channel formed by the cover 15 and fall into the pockets in the pocket chain .16. This represents conveyor path and leads the cigarettes now filling all the pockets to a station for further treatment.

00 The pocket chain 16 is driven more slowly than the pocket chain 1. The relation of thespeeds is determined from the experienced proportion of faulty cigarettes to the total delivered. A definite transmission ratio 55 may then be used particularly if it is so chodisposed sen that the filling hopper 12 cannot normally I be emptied but overfilled. The excess would then be removed by the operator attending the machine. On this assumption also the supplyof the pocket chain 16 is more than suflicient for the packing machine. A change speed gearing may be provided, however, of which the speed of the second portion of the conveyor track can be altered in relation to the first as required.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for mechanically separating out cigarettes with tips differing from the normal length, comprising an optical-electrical feeling device set to the limits of the length 01 the tips, means for leading the cigarettes past said device, a device for separatmg out faulty cigarettes,

trolled by said feeling device for operating said separating out device.

2. Apparatus for mechanically separating out cigarettes with tips differing from the normal length, comprising two optical-elem trical feeling devices, means for leading said cigarettes past said devices, and a separating device cooperating'with each of said feeling devices, one serving to separate out cigarettes having too long and the other to separate out cigarettes having too short a tip.

3. Apparatus for mechanically separating out cigarettes with tips differing from the normal length, comprising an optical-electrical feeling device set to the limits of the length of the tips, means for leading said cigarettes past said device means for separating out faulty cigarettes, a relay controlled by said feeling device for operating said separating out means and means for filling the gaps remaining from such separation.

/ 4. Apparatus for separating out cigarettes having tips differing from the normal length comprising a pocket arettes are carried, an optical-electrical feeling device located over said chain, a disc located beneath said chain, said disc provided with horizontally disposed pins, a relay connected with said feeling device and serving to displace said pins axially on passage of a faulty cigarette, a lifting finger operable by said pins to remove faulty cigarettes from the pockets, a gripper adapted to receive the cigarettes thus removed and separate them, and means for returning the pins to initial position. I

5. Apparatus for se arating out cigarettes having tips differing om the normal length comprising a pocket chain in which the cigarettes are carried, an optical-electrical feeling device located over said chain, a disc with horizontally disposed pins located beneath said chain, said disc provided with horizontally disposed pins, a relay connected with said feehng device and serving to displace said pins axially on passage of a faulty cigarette, a lifting finger operable by saidpins and a relay con chain in which the cigto remove faulty cigarettes from the pockets, a gripper adapted to receive the cigarettes thus removed and separate them, a filling hopper located at the discharge end of the pocket chain and adapted to ,receive'the cig-. arettes from the ockets and a second pocket chain beneath said filling hopper the pockets of said second pocket chain being adapted to be filled with cigarettes from said -filling hop-per.

6. Apparatus for mechanically separating out cigarettes with tips difiering from normal length comprising an optical-electrical device set to the limits of the lengthof the tips, means for leading said cigarettes past said device, means for separating out faulty cigarettes and means controlled by said optical-electrical device, for actuating said separating out device.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

MAX PAUL ERNST HOHN.

ROBERT WILHELM VOIGT. 

